State Health Department Adds New Feature to Pioneering Text2Survive Mobile Service

CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) Center
for Minority Health Services has added a feature to its pioneering Text2Survive
mobile service that will allow health providers to send patients medical
appointment reminders for clinic visits via text message to their mobile phones.

The new medical appointment reminder feature is currently being piloted through the end of March 2013at three facilities statewide: Lake County Health Department, Open Doors Clinic in Chicago, and East Side Health Department in East St. Louis, with plans to expand to other facilities in 2013. This feature allows clinic staff to access their own individual password-protected web portals to enroll patients who are interested, to receive appointment reminders via text message in the program. After an appointment has been created, patients will automatically receive appointment reminders via text message at pre-defined intervals leading up to their appointments.

“This expanded feature of our innovative Text2Survive service will meet Illinois residents at their point of need in a medium that is already extremely accessible to them,” said IDPH Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck. “Anyone who can text from their mobile phone can use Text2Survive as a ‘one-stop shop’, to find HIV testing locations, health education events, customized medication reminders, general health information updates and, now, through their healthcare providers, medical appointment reminders.”

Illinois ranks 7th nationwide in the diagnosis of HIV infections, and is 5th nationwide in the estimated number of AIDS cases. Adolescents and young adults from ages 13-29 have the highest rate of HIV infection in Illinois at 37 percent. Additionally, African-Americans in Illinois are also disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS, representing about 14 percent of the population, but half of all new HIV infections.

“Cell phones are everywhere, and everyone is texting. Many people are also using their cell phones as their primary point of contact, and getting rid of their landlines,” said Center for Minority Health Services Director Doris Turner. “Because people usually carry their cell phones with them, it is also less likely that they will miss appointments, or that the appointment notification will fall into the wrong hands.”